Australia Might Be Getting Its R18 Rating After All

Gamers of the world (or just Melbourne anyway) rejoice!

The Australian Classification Board — previously amongst the greatest sadomasochists of the world — might well be in for a treat in the coming years, after it was revealed that Australia, one of the last few places on Earth where people cannot play certain M-rated titles packed with awesome and win, might well be getting its R18+ rating after all.

This after New South Wales Attorny-General offered his “in-principle support” of the move, which along with the rest of the State reps in the county’s Standing Committee of Attorneys-General, now makes the decision to green-light the rating a unanimous one.

This means they can go ahead and progress with passing the law, some time soon.

What this means for our Aussie gaming rivals down under is that games previously, and in future, deemed inappropriate for under 15-year-olds — banned under the current (draconian) system — will be allowed to sell as material labelled R18+, which is essentially the ACB’s equivalent of what we know as “M for Mature” from the ESRB and “PEGI 18” in other areas of the world.

“Once introduced, the new classification will afford adults the opportunity to view material designed for adults,” said Minister for Justice Brendan O’Connor. “The introduction of an R18+ classification for computer games will provide better advice to parents and help prevent children and teenagers from accessing unsuitable material.”

Of course, most Aussie gamers have long since just been downloading (along with their porn of course) their ‘banned games’ illegally, no doubt, so this won’t really affect them as much, but at least it might mean they’d pay for those games now, and can actually get the games available and supported for them officially, in the first place.